Part 4 - More about Temples

in Ayer Itam

Paya Terubong

# 54 Happy Valey is now known as Taman Happy Valley

Within the Air Itam valley floor that there this patch of lowland land that sinks lower than the undulating surrounding. It was here that the farmers found a raised "mole hills type" where they gathered and had their houses built to avoid the periodic flash flood. They called this little mole hill land - Happy Valley. Which incidentally is the center and also now the centre for Paya Terubong. Oh! Paya is "Swampland" and Terubong could a local term for a type of grass known scientifically as  Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum.

As a young kid, the area of Happy Valley, to be exact Thean Teik Estate was the place for hard working farmers who brought out the veggie and pig meats. All these were forgotten history in 1980, when land hungry developers found it is more important to have houses and not food. Farlim was born.

 The Balik Pulau Hills

# 55 Paradise Night Club. To us - Chooi Lim Koo

In the early days, Ayer Itam was just a settlement. There must be a place where people gathered, socialized and did their celebration. This place was a niche and very up market before my time. I heard about its existence and also seeing this picture. During my childhood days, more amenities had opened up in Ayer Itam and notable restaurants 9n Georgetown itself. - Like for example the Oriental Garden Amusement Park. Chooi Lim Koo the place lost its prime position. I do not remember seeing any celebration being held there anymore. So it was left to drift into oblivions.

#  56 Kek Loke Si Hospital 2021

Now it is finally finished and launched in May 2021. The 50-bed hospital will be the fourth non-profit private hospital to commence operations on the island state, after the likes of Adventist Hospital, the Lam Wah Ee Hospital, and the Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital.

This topic of Ayer Itam could go on and on with so much more details that have meaning to myself only. Well, I have fun compiling all the pictures I could salvage on the Ayer Itam Township. Striking a balance what is interesting to most people. Hope I have not said too much. Let's move on the next subject that Ayer Itam is famous for - FOOD!

  Start of Balik Pulau Road urban sector

# 57 Approach to Kek Loke Si

The full view of the Kek Loke Si complex before you enter its compound. The stupid block of white colored flats in Jalan Rambutan would be eventually built in front of the temple to mar this uninterrupted sight.

# 58 Approach road to Kek Loke Si

The Balik Pulau Road was intended as one leading from Air Itam over the hills to the other side of the mountain. Hill slopes for Balik Pulau. In fact the original paved section ended at Kek Loke Si. The temple complex nestled within the forest setting. This part of Air Itam is very preserved.

The early times the wide track up into the hills was unpaved. With the construction of the 1960's that uphill segment was paved, leaving the laterite section continuing after the Dam intake and remains till this day

# 59 Restaurant Lok Thean

Besides "Chooi Lim Koo Night Club and restaurant" there was another restaurant in this tiny enclave "Lok Thean" The present wet market was not in existence as can be seen  from earlier picture. Center of activity in this settlement was the Balik Pulau Road area, Produce sent down from the hills and the farming community socialized and relaxed.

# 59-2 The old Bridge

This was the main access road into the Kel Loke Si Temple. Here there were school children from Kong Bing School. Just like me fascinated with the river flowing beneath.

# 60 Same view  as picture # 58

The full view of the Kek Loke Si complex before you enter its compound. Now you could see that stupid block of white colored flats in Jalan Rambutan that mars its perfect view. Of course the new pavilion for Kwan Yin dwarfed the old pagoda

#  61  Kek Loke Si from the air

Flash back to the year 1900. Good to see a nostalgic picture of Kek Loke Si without that iconic Pagoda

# 62 Air Itam valley left of Balik Pulau Road

Recent picture. The full view of the Air itam! Fore ground would be the steps to Tau Pek Kong Temple. Off center right beside the road another temple Tai Siong Low Koon. Somewhere center the Air Itam Reservoir

Ayer Itam - The original taste

Cannot ignore that Ayer Itam, a very traditional community would have the best that Penang could offer

# 63 Without doubt - Laksa @ the market

That's the thought in everyone mind and words from every one's mouth. We also had a house in Kampong Pisang. This family operating the Laksa stall used to be our next door neighbor

# 64 Nasi Kandar Kampong Melayu

Considered a newbie, this eatery shot to fame after the millennium. The queue for Roti Canai and Take away on weekends was unbelievable. It was a must go for me. Now after rumors spreading on the intenet about the way how Indian related food are prepared. I curb that urge.

#  65 Sister Curry Mee

With internet and also in the new millennium, another famed stall. The stall with squatting patrons were there as long as I could remember. That was when I was a kid. Our family patronize the stall besides it "Ah Huey", which was more popular, next to hers. Now that Ah Huey had left us, his grandchildren now living in Kelana Jaya PJ, the son is managing but I get new that the old ladies are doing much better

 Ayer Itam - Spiritual center for the Chinese

I am a on-looker on this topic, though I have relatives driving all the way from KL to offer prayers and respect in some temples that I have not been inside

Tua Pek Kong 大伯公廟

# 66 AYER ITAM HOCK TEIK CHENG SIN SOCIETY PENANG 百年古庙

This is the stone marker at the entrance arch. many may not notice, the date reflects the Ching dynasty of that time. I remeber the days when we used to treat the walk to the temple as an adventure outings. We only drank the water from their pring ti quench our thrist. That is why i could elaborated on that Boomed Crater on the hill behind the temple

# 67 Walk to the temple - a granite walkway

It is close to one kilometer to the foot hill and the temple. My classmate's house. We had to cycle on their granite slab track and that could be very very slippery especially after rain. Kids that stayed in these houses are quite used to this precarious style

#  68 The temple

Preparing for some ceremony with lion dance

#  69 Entrance Arch at Balik Pulau Road

The stone marker shown above in the bottom left. The  main entrance to the Air Itam Tua Pek Kong temple was donated by the Haw Par Brothers -  Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par in the 1930's. Incidentally they were the makers of the famous "Tiger Balm Oilment".

#  70 A pavilion by the road side

Mention here "Hock Teik Sin" religious association. Officially known as the Bao Xing Xian Yan Tua Pek Kong Temple (Traditional Chinese: 寶興仙岩大伯公]

#  71 Another temple?

Just beside using the granite walkway the reach the main temple, this is another temple building just beside the Main Balik Pulau Road for the convenience of those who were unable to hike to the authentic temple place.

Bat Cave Temple  蝙蝠洞

#  72 Bat Cave Temple @ Foothill of Penang Hill

This is a close-up picture of the temple's frontage. Actually very confusing for me too! All I know is that Tua Pek Kong has two other affiliates on Penang. One in Balik Pulau Road another in King Street in George town.

Nothing on the net that could tells me more about this place. I am more familiar with another temple just nearby. - Thni Kong Tnua   天公壇  offering prayer to the "Jade Emperor" . The locals must be clearer as to where they should be going to do their worshipping?

#  73 Bat Cave Temple from afar

. A guidebook printed in the 1977, mentions that the temple was built a good sixty years ago, meaning it would have been built in 1917.One story! It was rumored a hermit once used the Bat Cave for meditation, and that Buddhist monks guard the bats against human interference.

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#  74 Bat Cave Temple - Tua Pek Kong idol

. Yes, true to its name, an idol of Tua Pek Kong is here!

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#  75 Cave of the Bat Cave Temple

. With an English inscription for chinamen? The place had prepared well for the tourist visit as well

清觀寺 -Cheng Kon Sze Temple

The "1,200 Steps" Temple

#  76. GPS: 5.407515,100.303928

Cheng Kon Sze Temple, or better known as Cheng Ji Chan, is a sprawling Taoist temple complex anchored on the slopes of the Bukit Penara of Penang. Long ago it was named as the Crane Hills.

 Its official full name is Thien Hen San Chau Yuen Tong Cheng Kon Sze, meaning Cheng Kon Temple of Chau Yen Cave of Thien Hen Mountain. Sounds Chinese? Borrowed from Thien Hen San of China and now could well mean Bukit Penara, the hill located between the temple and the Ayer Itam Dam.

The name Cheng Ji Chan is often translated in English as Temple of A Thousand Two Hundred Steps.

#  77 清觀寺 - Cheng Kon Sze Temple

The name 1200 Steps - having  four numerical digit, works in the mind of many punters. They still go to the temple for divine assistance. Much of the stretch of road are now shared with farmers. Regular need not hike that much but motorized themselves to the temple.

#  78   清觀寺 - Cheng Kon Sze Temple

Many of the original granite steps still remain, but some have been replaced by cement steps, purported taken by the Japanese during the Second World War.

#  79 Full view of the 1200 steps temple

This wooden temple is said to be build around a century ago and whether you believe or not, not a single nail was used in the construction., It is a small but well keep temple of Bodhisattva Kuan Yin, inside they have the likes Tai Siong Loh Koon, Ma Chor Po and several other Taoist deities.

The Temple's main event is hosting the first nine days period of the 9th Lunar month Kow Ong Yea's celebration, The Nine Emperor God's Festival. Devotees will have to going through a vegetarian diet with a choice of:- for 10 days, 3 days or 1 day depending on the vow made.

# 80 The new slip track - Backdoor route

I read on the internet that visitors are encouraged to use this route to reach the temple by car. Just to promote traffic Gone would be one important nostalgic feature of Ayer Itam, where one enjoy having being able to do 1200 steps to reach the temple. But with low traffic who would be paying for the upkeep then?

Kek Loke Si temple

#  81 Aerial view of temple complex

It is nice to see the completed temple that I prefer and also not the latest version with the expanded compound

The Ayer Itam Dam

#  82 Ayer Itam Dam view

Photograph taken on one of the better times when the level was respectable. it is small dam, so often that the level would fall to reach critical level of concern.

#  83 Plaque from Ayer Itam Dam

According to dates started from 1958-1962. Some sites on Google claims that the Dam was done in 1906. I read it somewhere one of the contractors was Lim Goh Tong. Our Uncle Lim from Genting. Though the name is not on this plaque.

Penang Hill Railway

#  84 The newly installed new train service

Very briefly too! I am making a special page just for Penang Hill Railway, no point in repeating its content

Well, I have done it. Putting up this page under very trying condition. Why trying? I could not afford to spend time seating and staring at the computer - to edit and write. Very stressful for me in particular ending up with perpetual headaches.! Anyway story telling is my passion and that's what makes me happy. Very sketchy and brief here are solitary pictures and brief write up for Kek Loke Si Temple and Penang Hill Railways, two most important destinations. I have dedicated pages for them Look for it

 Most important to me is the ability to have them downloaded my thoughts into a story. Actually I have so much more details to add, but those points are personal and only meaningful to myself. So don't waste time. Done!  my wish came true

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